Gary Anderson secured a commanding first-round victory at the World Matchplay darts tournament held in Blackpool. The Scottish competitor, a former 2018 champion and current 12th seed, overwhelmed Ryan Joyce with a 10-2 scoreline. Anderson’s performance featured clinical finishing, including checkouts of 144 and 141, and he maintained an average of 109.96 throughout the match. Joyce, an Englishman, could not mount a competitive challenge as Anderson won the final five legs consecutively.
Anderson’s success sets up a second-round encounter with Welsh fifth seed Jonny Clayton, who advanced by defeating Australia’s Damon Heta 10-7. Clayton concluded his victory with a 144 finish and expressed admiration for his upcoming opponent, describing Anderson as his “hero.”
Several other notable matches took place during the tournament’s opening rounds. Three-time champion Michael van Gerwen progressed with a 10-6 win over Andrew Gilding, positioning himself for a Netherlands derby against Dirk van Duijvenbode, who edged Chris Dobey 13-11 in a closely contested match. Dutch third seed Gian van Veen defeated Poland’s Krzysztof Ratajski 10-6 and will face fellow Dutchman Wessel Nijman, who eliminated England’s Dave Chisnall 10-5.
In additional first-round action, sixth seed James Wade beat Jermaine Wattimena 10-7 to earn a matchup with fellow Englishman Ryan Searle, who advanced past Ireland’s William O’Connor with a 10-6 victory.